Life
by WoNdY Alice
Summary: Things were fine before Hollywood. Kendall and Logan were perfectly content with their very secret relationship. But moving to L.A. changed things, and not for the better. Now Kendall wants one thing, and Logan desperately clings to another. Lies, not just to their friends, but each other surface, and suddenly nothing's perfect anymore. Kendall x Logan/ Kogan. BTR AU. T for now.
1. Big Time Audition Part 1

Alice: Well you guys voted, and this one won!

Emily: Go figure, right? Well I rewrote this, and I have literally every chapter planned out from this one to the last one.

Alice: This will be a series but the story won't end when the season ends. In fact, it will end when the summary of the story no longer applies to the plot. So this will have a couple of sequels.

Emily: Right now, this is the story! So enjoy.

* * *

Title: Life

Summary: Things were fine before Hollywood. Kendall and Logan were perfectly content with their very secret relationship. But moving to L.A. changed things, and not for the better. Now Kendall wants one thing, and Logan desperately clings to another. Lies, not just to their friends, but each other surface, and suddenly nothing's perfect anymore.

Pairings: Kendall and Logan.

* * *

**Big Time Audition**

**Part 1**

Sometimes Kendall thought he was the luckiest person on the planet. His two best friends supported him no matter what. Whether it was some crazy scheme he came up with or a hockey strategy to win the championship, they stood by him. Yeah, those two were the greatest. Many people thought he had three best friends and that was true. But that third one stuck out: Logan Mitchell. Was he a bit more special than the others? Yes. Did he love him more than his other friends? Well, it was a different type of love. See, he was in love with Logan, and Logan was in love with him. No one else knew about it, and they intended it keep it that way.

They were secretly dating.

"Kendall?" Logan whined. "What are you thinking?"

Currently both boys sat in the only class that the four best friends had together: math. Most of the class consisted of the teacher giving them a worksheet and telling them to work in pairs to look through the textbooks and find the information. James, Carlos, Logan, and Kendall always worked together much to the annoyance of some of the girls that wanted to get Kendall and James alone. "Nothing," Kendall whispered back, smirking. The two always managed to communicate words by just looking at each other, and Logan knew that smirk.

Kendall was up to something.

"I don't like this class," James grumbled. "I don't like classes at all! When I become famous, I won't need to go to school anymore."

"Actually," Logan contradicted, "you need to attend at least four hours of class even when famous. It's pretty annoying to the companies because you have limited work hours while in school. Child labor and all."

Kendall laughed at the distraught expression that appeared on James. Carlos tapped his pencil on the desk, impatiently glaring at the clock. His right leg bounced up and down uncontrollably, trying to waste some of the energy overflowing in his body. "Guys," Kendall whispered. "Want to pull off a good prank?"

"Oh no," Logan groaned, rubbing his temples. "You guys are going to give me wrinkles before I'm twenty."

"Aw Logie," Kendall teased, nudging him with his shoulders. Carlos snickered, teasingly petting Logan on the head. James laughed loudly at Logan's over exaggerated frown making the teacher shush him. The brown haired boy instantly went back to sulking. Carlos followed his lead, searching through the textbook for the last couple of questions. Logan, already finished his, sent a questioning glance at Kendall, who replied with a small smirk.

"I change my previous statement," Logan whispered in Kendall's ear. "You're going to give me temporary high blood pressure."

Kendall burst out laughing in the middle of the silent classroom.

* * *

Logan Mitchell considered himself to be cautious and pretty knowledgeable for his age. When it came to following the orders of an authority figure, he never resisted, unlike his boyfriend. And, because of that difference, he's found himself in strange situations ever since he met him. Like getting locked in a penguin zoo cage or sneaking into a mattress store and leaving, covered from head to toe in feathers. This situation must have been one of the lesser problems he's faced after befriending Kendall:

Being chased by crazy field hockey players for turning on the sprinkler while they played.

He needed new friends. And maybe a new boyfriend while he was at it. His friends knew this since he voiced that opinion more than once but never meant it. The guys knew it too and joked about it with him. But it was still pretty ridiculous. Apparently Kendall saw the janitor leave a T-Bar in the sprinkler valve and decided to prank the field hockey girls. "This is what it will be like when I'm famous!" James shouted excitedly as they dashed down the streets. "Only the girls won't be trying to kill me!"

"Really! That's what we're talking about!" Logan screamed over the girls' cries of anger. Kendall's eyes searched the neighborhood as they ran, finding an alley that would perfectly hide them. Grabbing Logan's upper arm, he swung the both of them to turn that way, forcing James and Carlos to follow. Unfortunately it was a dead end and the girls slowly started to corner the four best friends.

"Time out!" Kendall screamed. The girls stopped, most likely expecting an apology. "Carlos, give James the helmet. We have to protect the face."

Carlos obeyed the orders of their leader in the group. "I love you guys," James whispered, putting on the helmet. No one noticed how, in the process of helmet sharing, the blond inched closer towards the smart one of the group. Kendall turned to the girls, shrugging nonchalantly but tensing to prepare for the pain.

"Time in."

They pounced with fury. Sticks, kicks, and punches were all being thrown their way. James tried to dodge them, much like he did in hockey, but still received some very painful blows. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kendall deliberately standing directly in front of Logan, shielding him from the harsh violence of the girls. It wasn't an unusual sight, considering Kendall was far more protective of Logan than anyone else. Probably because the nerdy boy was seen as the weakest, and therefore the easiest to pick on.

The girls eventually vented out their anger and left with harsh glares. The friends stayed in that spot, moaning and groaning. Pain etched into their bodies, but it was nothing new considering all of the stunts they pulled. "Ow!" Kendall cried out, holding his shoulder.

"Thanks for the helmet," James said weakly, tossing it back to Carlos, who couldn't even catch it due to the pain in his arms.

Logan, who sustained the least amount of injuries thanks to Kendall, sighed. He picked up the helmet and properly placed it in Carlos' hand. The girls definitely left bruises on each boy, some more noticeable than others. "Kendall's house for recovery and hot chocolate?"

"The doctor has spoken!" James and Carlos joked, throwing their arms up but cringed at the pain that came with it. Kendall slipped his arm around Logan's shoulder, leaning against him for support. Due to taking most of Logan's blows, he had the most notable injuries. He limped as they all walked back to Kendall's house, anxious for hot chocolate. James and Carlos chatted the whole way in front of the secret couple.

"You okay?" Kendall whispered softly in Logan's ear.

"I'm fine. You?" Logan whispered back.

"Hurts a bit but I'll live." He quickly kissed the side of Logan's head making the smaller boy blush. His eyes widened in total fear as he sharply whipped his head around to see if anyone witnessed the small public act of affection.

"We're in public," Logan hissed, glaring at his boyfriend but a smile threatening to break through. No one usually stayed outside long in Minnesota, so it was unlikely anyone saw. He still preferred to be on the cautious side though.

"Can't help it," Kendall laughed, utilizing the same excuse he always did when he initiated public displays of affection. Unable to truly yell at that smile, the smart one of the group mumbled under his breath that he needed a new boyfriend. Once again, Kendall snickered. They both knew it wasn't true and that Logan was just about as in love with Kendall as he was with Logan.

"What's taking you guys so long?" Carlos called back, the pain lessening with every second passing. The girls must have gone easy on them.

"This guy is heavy!" Logan complained making James and Carlos laugh wholeheartedly.

"Am not!" Kendall exclaimed. And that's how they spent the rest of the time walking home: bickering like an old married couple.

* * *

Gustavo Rocque was an angry, uncaring man who made people cry with only a select word choice. His confidence and hatred made him almost untouchable but somehow the words he wrote on paper were beautiful, mesmerizing, and had great beats. Those songs were why he was a famous producer. Too bad he hasn't had on in years, and his company was taken over by an even colder, stranger man named Griffin. Now his new boss demanded another star, someone who would make him more money. And Gustavo had no choice but to comply. So here he was in the freezing winters of Minnesota, trying to find someone with at least an iota of talent.

"You shouldn't be so hard on them," Kelly whispered from next to him, concerned for the girl that dashed offstage sobbing. "They all keep crying."

"That is not my fault!" Gustavo declared smugly, leaning back on the uncomfortable chair. Maybe that's why he was so aggravated? Or, it's just who he is: constantly angry. "They cannot handle critique."

Kelly sighed, "They can't handle _you_."

Somehow it seemed that Kelly was the only one who could stand him and chose to work for him every day. No one knew much about her, just that she walked in one day and demanded a job. She took all of Gustavo's frustration and screams, even going as far as yelling back. Both learned how to put up with each other and soon a friendship of sorts was formed between them. It didn't mean they stopped arguing altogether; it just made their friendship much more intense.

"Same thing!" he insisted.

Gustavo could admit some people who auditioned today did have talent, and he could easily turn them into a star. He just wasn't looking for that though. Another mindless kid trying to make it in the world was so boring and would easily be crushed by Hollywood life. Instead he required a certain fire in someone, a flame that burned with passion. Someone who wouldn't give up no matter what the cost, who wouldn't go home crying or complaining about life's hardships. None of them had it, so he took his anger out on them. "It's ten minutes until five," Kelly reasoned. "We still have time."

"We better!" Gustavo screamed impatiently. This was the last state they were visiting, after all. "Or Griffin will have our heads!"

* * *

Kendall plopped onto the couch, a soft smile on his lips as he sipped happily from his mug of hot chocolate. The "wounds" didn't hurt as much, and the other boys looked satisfied to be in the warmth of his house. Logan turned on the TV before sitting next to Carlos, who was rubbing his bruise with fascination. Being the "doctor" of the group, Logan pushed the smaller boy's hands off. "You'll only make it worse," Logan scowled making Kendall snort at how motherly it sounded. It was still cute though. Carlos pouted and put his hands at his sides as the noise from the television filled the room. That noise soon warped into music and James' face brightened up.

Kendall smirked, teasingly saying, "The Pussycat Dolls always make the pain go away."

"I'm going to marry her one day." James stated, staring at the practically topless girl on the screen. Carlos squinted his eyes at the girl but saw nothing special other than a great body. But then again James was the one who watched her interviews so he would know better. Kendall could also appreciate her body, but he doubted he would ever meet her or stray from Logan if he did.

"You're going to marry Nicole Scherzinger?" Logan asked incredulously. "How?"

"No!" Kendall and Carlos shouted out at the same time. James smirked, jumping onto the table and blocking the screen happily as he proceeded with his "I'm going to be famous" speech. The pain must have magically disappeared from the hype of being a successful singer. Logan rolled his eyes and glanced at Kendall, who gestured at Carlos to tackle the taller boy. He complied easily and threw on his helmet, smashing against James. As the two fell behind the couch wrestling, Kendall stared at Logan, smirking slightly and Logan couldn't help but shyly bite his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling.

The moment couldn't last forever and soon the TV newscast was back on. _"Do you want to be famous?"_ a voice over the speakers asked. The wrestling stopped immediately.

"Yes," James piped up from behind the couch.

"Well now's your lucky chance!" the speaker continued. All the boys were deadly quiet as he spoke about a man named Gustavo Rocque, who could "turn a dog into a pop star". As he gave more information, Carlos could feel James trembling with excitement next to him. Just as the screen went black, all four boys had their phones out, calling for a parent. Ironically, none of them answered. Leaving only a message of "we need a ride", they hung up and sat down, staring at the phones beckoning for one to ring.

When one did, the group grabbed at it, trying to decipher which one belonged to whom. Carlos was the one who answered, "Hello? Yes. Yes! Great, get here as fast as you can!"

"You're mom's coming!" James cried out in relief.

Carlos shook his head, a grin stretched on his lips. "No, but a salesman is coming over tomorrow to help us out with that new TV we're trying to get!"

It only took James two seconds flat to tackle Carlos with a lurid scream of fury. "Kendall!" Logan cried out in distress.

"Um…" Kendall racked his brain for answers and froze slightly when a vase crashed on the wall just behind Logan. If it was a few inches over, it would have hit Logan. Kendall stepped on the table, jumping over it, and practically flew to his boyfriend's side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Logan has a learner's permit!"

The fighting stopped just as quickly as it began. "But I need an adult in the car with me," Logan argued, instinctively leaning towards Kendall, who didn't take his arm off of him. James and Carlos didn't notice, already used to how often the boys made unnecessary physical contact.

"Kendall!" James whined. "Do something!"

Kendall pursed his lips, looking at James as though he were crazy. "Why are you asking me? Logan's the smart one!"

"But I always crack under pressure," Logan explained, forgetting about just how strange it must have looked for him to be completely relaxed in the older boy's arms. "Then you come up with the answer."

"Okay I do not—I know how to get there," the blonde smirked, a plan forming in his head.

* * *

…Okay, seriously? Logan nearly slipped three times as he dashed towards the car with an old lady in his arms with the other boys helping out. To think only two hours ago they were being chased by field hockey players. Now they were rushing an audition for James. At least he got the chance to live out his dreams, and he was a good singer even if the boys teased him for how often he showed off. Now that he thought about it, Kendall's voice was really good too.

Logan quickly shook his head. Those thoughts didn't help the situation at hand. Kendall suggested going to their neighbor, an old woman who rarely left the house. They bargained that all she needed to do was sit in the passenger's seat and they'll shovel her driveway for the rest of the month. Too bad she was slow. So they all picked her up and started carrying her towards her beat up car. "Go faster!" James screeched.

"I don't wanna break her!" Carlos screamed back. Eventually they managed to stuff her into the car and Logan hopped into the front and started driving with shaky hands.

"Oh my God!" James whispered in stunned horror. "What if I mess up?"

"You won't." Kendall replied confidently. The rest of the ride was silent but filled with the thoughts of a nervous teenage boy about to make his dreams come true and three insecure friends. What if he did succeed? Would he leave them behind? Become some famous star and forget about them? But that didn't matter at the moment. Right now they just needed to arrive on time.

* * *

Kelly groaned, her boss screaming at another teenage girl who didn't meet his qualifications. A headache was slowly starting to form, so she exited herself from the auditorium. The "waiting room" consisted of both the tryouts that already failed and the nervous ones who had yet to face the wrath waiting in the doors behind her. No line was currently in front of her, but she figured it was because auditions ended in five minutes. Or they were scared off from the warnings of the ones who were insulted by Gustavo. "I need to get him some anger management," she mumbled to herself. Just before she could walk back into the other room, four teenage boys literally fell into the small room.

Judging by the looks on the teenager's waiting around, these boys were well known.

"I want to be famous!" the brunet one screamed desperately, and Kelly rolled her eyes. Yeah, why else would they be here? She grabbed a yellow sticker and slapped it onto his chest with the number "810" on it. Her eyes dug into the other boys and evaluated them. The shortest, Hispanic one appeared excited for his friend while the blond and other brunet just smiled at each other, as though sharing some inside joke. Kelly sighed. Chances are Gustavo would scare "810" away, so she would need some reinforcements.

"You," she pointed at one of the boys. "Want to be famous?"

The brunet jumped in surprise, startled anyone would ask him that. He gave her an adorable grin. "Sorry, I want to be a doctor."

"Yeah well I'm a desperate talent scout, you have a cute smile, and Justin Timberlake made more than four million dollars last year," was her blatant reply.

"Hit me."

She smirked, grabbing the "811" sticker and slapping his chest to make it stick. Suddenly the Hispanic boy cried out, "Wait, I want to be famous too!" And proceeded to horribly sing. Well, it wasn't bad actually. Just extremely off key. Gustavo would have a parade with insulting him. Nevertheless, she slapped the number "812" on his chest. Her eyes went to the blond, who didn't notice her. It appeared as though he was in a completely different world, raising a questioning eyebrow at "811", who merely shrugged in response. Silent communication, Kelly took note, that meant these two were extremely good friends. "And you?" she spoke up to grab his attention.

"I want to play center for the Minnesota Wild," he smirked.

"Or the Maple Leafs," 811 snickered.

"I'd consider," he corrected, and Kelly took that chance to stick "813" onto his chest. She gave them all an innocent smile before strutting away, happy to find at least four new faces that Gustavo would either like or kill. Chances are it would be the latter. Pausing for a moment, she turned back to the boys.

"810 is next," she called out.

The tall brunet's eyes went wide and he shakily glanced around. With one quick motion, he ripped off his own sticker and the smaller boy's, switching them effectively. "Logan," his voice trembled with false happiness. "You're next."

Logan rolled his eyes, and the Hispanic boy blinked. "But you can't sing!"

"Yeah he ca—oof!" the blond was interrupted when Logan elbowed him in the stomach. Kendall seemed to understand the message, shutting his mouth at Logan's sharp glare. He rubbed his stomach, cringing due to the bruises already there. Logan sent him a quick apologetic look before turning his focus to Carlos.

"Carlos, that was the worst pep talk ever," Logan smirked, "but luckily, I'm a genius. I'll think of something. Kendall?"

"Just sing!" Kendall breathed out, clutching his stomach. "Dude, I still have bruises there!"

"Or you could just beat box," James cut in, still trembling from excitement and fear of being auditioned. Logan paused, seemingly thinking it over.

"Got it."

* * *

As they waited for Logan, all three took seats close to the door. The woman who gave them the stickers walked into the room with Logan to see his audition, and they haven't come back out yet. "What did you mean that Logan can sing?" James broke the silence, trying to have some conversation to ease the tension he currently felt. "Logan never sings. Ever."

"Not in front of you guys," Kendall pointed out nonchalantly. "I rarely get him to sing in front of me. He's got a good voice though."

Carlos beamed. "It's kind of funny how friendly you two are. I'm jealous of that."

He wouldn't be if he knew the truth. Kendall only nodded his head, his lips pressing together in a thin line. Logan would probably make an excuse for the statement which meant Kendall needed to as well. Kendall personally never understood the whole "secret" thing, especially when they've been dating for almost a year and six months, but Logan insisted on it. "Well I never bullied him," Kendall shrugged, remembering what the other three referred to as the "dark days".

James and Carlos immediately flushed with guilt. "We said we were sorry," they argued together.

"Yeah but it probably took a lot for him to trust you guys, but maybe he still has this subconscious warning about you two even when he knows you won't hurt him. He never had that fear of me in the first place, so it makes sense that he prefers me," Kendall explained, using terms he's heard Logan rant on about before. Logan really was born to be a doctor, he figured. Just like he was born to play hockey and James was born to sing. Carlos… well they weren't so sure about him yet. Maybe become a police officer like his dad.

"Wow… that sounded like a Logan explanation," Carlos exclaimed, snickering slightly. Before Kendall could comment, the door burst open and a loud yelling noise flooded the room. Logan slowly walked out, pale and brown eyes blown wide. Falling clumsily back on the chair, he pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. James paled at the sight while Kendall reddened with pure anger. Carlos curiously tried looking past the doors that quickly shut.

"He's mean," Logan whimpered.

James gaped, frantically looking back and forth between the doors and Logan. Much like the first time, he couldn't help himself. He ripped his own sticker off, traded it with Carlos', and sighed in relief. "You're next," he forcibly laughed.

Carlos shrugged, jumping up excitedly and rushing towards the door after tapping his helmet twice. Kendall didn't bother wishing him luck. Instead he took the seat next to Logan and affectionately began rubbing his back to calm him. Putting this Gustavo guy through Hell for making Logan like this would have to wait. His boyfriend came before any revenge schemes. "You okay?" he whispered.

Logan glanced at James, who was too absorbed in his own nerves to notice. "Yeah. He's just a scary man."

It took less time for Carlos to come bursting through the doors with a wide smile on his face. The same yelling was heard behind him, and James raised a quizzical eyebrow at his best friend. "Well," Carlos beamed. "I'm not going to Hollywood!"

Just as he sat down, the woman walked back out. "812 is next." She swiftly went back into the room and James froze, realizing exactly which number he was. Turning to Kendall, he reached out to rip off his tag, but the blonde quickly slapped his hand over his own sticker. James let out a small whine from the back of his throat at the action.

"James," Kendall comforted, taking on his leader persona. "This is your dream, not mine. You can't avoid it. Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime! So go in there and grab your dream."

"Okay," James breathed in, turning around and entering the room with trembling hands. The doors closed behind him, and Kendall smirked.

Logan noticed and actually smirked back for once. "We're going to sneak in there, aren't we?"

"Oh yeah."

* * *

James didn't notice the door opening behind him or how his three best friends quickly dashed behind a couple chairs in the auditorium. He was too busy trying to calm his beating heart. The famous Gustavo sat there with folded hands, glaring harshly at him. The woman from before sent him sympathetic eyes which did not help at all. As he walked onto the stage, he tried to will his body to not fall over and embarrass himself. Once he reached the microphone, he pushed his hair back and started singing.

Pouring his heart into one of his favorite songs, he clutched the microphone and still sounded a bit nervous. He made sure to hit all the high notes, including the higher ones. For a brief second, he thought he saw blonde hair behind the producer but ignored it. He finally finished the song and let out a giant puff of air. All the tension in his body disappeared and relief filled him. "Wow," Gustavo finally spoke up. "That was… awful!"

He screamed the last word. James flinched, backing up a step. "B-but I was good," he argued, not sounding fully convinced himself. All the compliments on his singing rang in his head, each one praising his voice. Why did this producer not like him? Were people just being easy on him? Was he really not that good? A pang of hurt hit him in the chest and he prevented any tears from showing in his brown eyes.

"I don't need good," Gustavo snarled. "I need passion! I need a fire. And you don't have it! YOU HAVE NO TALENT!"

"No talent?!" A new voice entered the scene. James paled at the sight of an enraged Kendall standing behind the seats. Already angered from Logan's reaction of this man, his rage hit him full force at the cruelness towards James. He may have been overprotective of Logan, but he was still known for protecting his friends as well. "You're the one with no talent!" Kendall walked right in front of him. "You haven't had a hit in ten years!"

"Oh no," James whispered.

"Hey _Girl my Heart _by Boyquake was a hit nine years ago," Gustavo retorted, ignoring the fury in those green eyes.

"Oh, let me see if I remember that 90's classic," Kendall sarcastically said and, surprisingly, started singing the song. There was no sense of nervousness in his voice, which was actually good. And just as he hit the chorus, he jumped onto the table and kicked the popcorn over. During the last part, he dropped to his knees, throwing his "heart" shaped hands at Gustavo in an almost violent way. The producer flew back but not enough to fall over.

"Wow!" the woman screamed, turning to the men in the yellow jackets. "Security!"

"Hey, here's a new hit for you!" Kendall smirked, starting to sing another song about how he was "such a turd". As he sang, the guards ran over and grabbed him by his arms, pulling him off of the table. "Hey get off of me!"

Carlos laughed, about to make a joke to Logan. When he turned around, Logan wasn't there. Instead he was storming down the hall, eyes blazing with the same fury Kendall had before. "Get off of him!" Acting on complete impulse, he jumped onto one of the guards back to pull him off of Kendall.

James gaped at the scene. Logan never acted on impulse or attacked authority, ever. Smirking, James put the microphone back before leaping off stage and onto one of the security guards in a similar fashion to Logan. Carlos soon joined the fight, hurling himself at the pile of people. As they fought, they never noticed Kelly checking over the shocked Gustavo.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Get me that boy's address," Gustavo declared, staring at the blonde.

"What?" Kelly exclaimed.

"He has it, Kelly. He has my fire."

* * *

Jennifer Knight was a woman of peace for the most part. She thought things through before acting out. She was, after all, a role model for her children. But that didn't stop either from being hyperactive troublemakers. Her son, Kendall, was a much more out there prankster. He lived for the rush of the moment and wanted only that. Her younger daughter Katie was much different in that manner. She was a subtle planner whose rewards were far more than a simple rush. Sometimes she earned money or managed to blackmail others.

Jennifer liked to think that it was from their father's genes.

They've never gone too far until now. As she opened the door, her son and his best friends were all being held by the police along with her elderly neighbor, who bore a giant grin on her face. "Mom!" Kendall exclaimed in fake surprise. "Remember that one time I saved you from choking? Man, that was close! And I love you!"

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"I've never felt so alive!" the old woman laughed.

Rolling her eyes, she focused on the police rather than her child. "Office, what happened?"

"Just some violence on their part," he tugged her son. "The victim is not pressing charges though. We were only asked to escort them home."

"He is not a victim!" Kendall argued only to be lightly hit on the head by the officer.

Jennifer sighed. "I'll handle them. Thank you, officer."

"No problem," all the officers let go of the boys and casually walked away. Jennifer crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at all four boys. From the corner of her eye, she could see Katie behind her smirking at her older brother. Sharply pointing at the family room, she nudged her head towards it. The boys all understood and sorrowfully stomped into the room. Jennifer closed the door and followed them.

"What happened?" she asked. Her son, while a prankster, did not have violent tendencies. For the most part. She took a much closer look at the boys. Logan appeared angry and saddened all at once while Kendall took a protective stance beside him and James. Carlos' eyes were bright with excitement and James was brokenhearted over something.

"There was this really mean producer," Carlos spoke up.

"We wanted to make James famous, but he was really mean," Logan cut in.

"So I got mad and sang the Giant Turd song," Kendall shrugged. "The security guards attacked me, and we ended up in this huge fight."

"But nobody got hurt," Logan spoke up.

"And now I'm really sad," James whispered. Kendall's eyes softened and he nudged James' arm in a comforting manner.

Jennifer Knight sighed. "Okay, who wants pizza?"

"I do!" Carlos screeched, grinning happily. Kendall, Logan, and James followed him and Katie's jaw dropped with disbelief.

"What?" Katie cried out. "Why didn't you stick it to them? Or put the screws to them?"

Jennifer blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you are not allowed to watch Fox anymore."

"Fine," Katie grumbled. "Can I at least hear the Giant Turd Song?"

Carlos smirked, starting to sing the song Kendall made up. Soon the blonde and Logan joined in with James. As they sang, Kendall placed a soft hand on Logan, silently asking whether or not he was okay. Logan gave him a small nod as he sang, grinning brightly. Kendall wrapped an arm around the smaller boy in a one-armed, seemingly innocent hug. Logan laughed just as the doorbell rang. The four boys, still singing, answered it without a thought but let out a scream when they saw who it was.

Gustavo stood there, shivering in his obnoxiously large coat. The woman was beside him, waving innocently. "I knew it!" James grinned, rushing towards him and hugging the producer. Kendall unintentionally put his arm back around Logan, slightly shoving the smaller boy towards him in a protective stance. The smart one rolled his eyes but didn't move from his spot, still a bit terrified of the man. "You came back for me!"

"I didn't come back for you," Gustavo pushed him off, disgusted. "I came back for him!"

As Gustavo's finger directed itself at Kendall, Logan felt his heart drop and his body freeze.

* * *

Alice: What did you guys think?

Emily: Should I continue this story?

Alice: Tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!


	2. Big Time Audition Part 2

Alice: Thanks for all the reviews and such!

Emily: I'm glad you guys like this story.

Alice: Well, here's part two!

* * *

**Big Time Audition**

**Part 2**

Logan has never hated anyone until now. As Gustavo explained how he wanted to take Kendall away to LA and make him a star, Logan trembled with fury. Have people tried convincing Kendall to leave him before? Of course they have. But they've never offered fame, money, and LA before. The woman, Kelly as they soon learned, told the Knight's how they would pay for their stay and training. James barely made a noise from his corner of the couch, and Carlos' wide eyed, naïve expression never left his face. "So what do you say?" Gustavo smirked, staring at Kendall with anticipation. Miss Knight squeezed his leg excitedly and Katie glanced at the other three boys with slight worry. "You want to go to LA and become famous?"

"In all honesty?" Kendall glanced at Logan, whose angered glare was still directed at the producer. He turned back to Gustavo and shrugged. "No."

"What!" Gustavo exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. Carlos burst out laughing but one glare from James shut him up instantly. Logan's eyes widened as he tried to catch Kendall's eyes for some form of an explanation, but he just stared at the producer with a challenging expression. Even Kelly appeared rather surprised at the rejection. Katie blinked, unsure of whether to cry out in joy or distress. Miss Knight just sighed, rubbing her forehead. This was going to cause some drama, she just knew it.

"No." He replied with a little more snark.

"I'm going to take a minute," he snarled, storming out of the house like a little child having a tantrum. Kelly sighed, staring outside only to flinch when a loud scream and crash was heard. She quickly approached Miss Knight, handing her a couple twenty dollar bills with a panicked expression.

"Sorry about him," she apologized before moving her sights to Kendall. "You should really think about this, Kendall. He auditioned over twenty two million people, and he picked you." Digging through her purse, she handed him a card. "We leave tomorrow at two. Call us if you change your mind."

As she walked out the door, they could hear her screaming at Gustavo about his "anger issues". The screaming eventually faded, and they all assumed the duo left the property. Katie stood up, staring at Kendall and the boys with a foreign expression as though she was trying to decipher whether or not he made the right choice. She exited the room without another word. "I have to go home," James stood up slowly. "My mom's probably worried."

"James," Kendall stood up, following him to the door. "Dude, you know I didn't mean to-"

James slammed the front door in Kendall's face before he could finish. Carlos awkwardly bit his cheek from the couch, glancing around and unable to stand the tense atmosphere. Standing up, he glanced back and forth from Kendall to the door. The blonde sighed. "You need to go home too, Carlos?"

"I'm not mad," Carlos immediately defended himself. After all, why would he be? He knew Kendall's intentions were not to steal James' spotlight but to defend it. Of course, none of them expected for Gustavo to actually think Kendall was worth bringing to LA. They just figured he'd pick James. Now the entire situation was messed up. That didn't mean he blamed Kendall though. "I think someone should talk to James. He's upset."

"I know." Kendall grumbled before letting out a small sigh. "Tell him I didn't mean for Gustavo to pick me."

"I think he knows that," he said, walking out the door with a small wave. Miss Knight uttered a few words about talking to Katie and swiftly strolled out of the room without giving her opinion. Kendall knew she supported him though no matter what, and he was glad she did. He turned to Logan, who looked even more conflicted than Kendall.

"I'm guessing you want to stay over?" It was more of a request.

Logan nodded. "Are my emergency things still here?"

"Yep." Ever since they started dating, Logan kept an "emergency bag" in Kendall's room with an extra toothbrush, extra clothes, and just about everything he would need to spend the night. While they haven't done _that _yet, they still enjoyed laying with each other in peace. Of course, Logan made sure to move to the floor before his mother could walk in on them. Part of Kendall wondered how he managed to wake up by himself without alerting him. But that didn't matter right now. Instead he just led Logan upstairs to his room and shut the door behind him, leaning against the wooden frame. "I don't want to leave."

"I don't want you to either," Logan plopped himself on Kendall's bed, biting his bottom lip. "But wouldn't it be better if you did? Gustavo offered you a way out of this damn town. Don't you want to take it?"

Kendall sighed, knowing exactly what Logan meant about the town. It was always his dream to leave Minnesota for good though Kendall never understood why. Was it a small, simple town? Yes. Everyone knew everyone here, and while that could become rather annoying, it didn't bother Kendall. However, Logan hated the town and most of its residents. On their "dates" Logan managed to find nice restaurants far from town so no one could run into them. It could add to the secret part of their relationship but Kendall understood Logan rarely liked running into people he knew. "Part of me does, but I'm not really good at singing or dancing," he tried to joke, but the smart one didn't fall for it. "Logan, I don't want to leave you or the guys."

"You've always been made for better things," Logan whispered to himself. "I feel selfish. I wanted you to say no and to stay but that's not what you should do. You should live out your potential and be great! Even if it's just to sing love songs about girls."

Kendall laughed, sitting next to Logan and pressing their foreheads together. "I'd be thinking of you if I sang."

He couldn't help but giggle. "Are you always so corny?"

"You love it," he joked, repeating the words he used a long time ago.

A saddened demeanor took over Logan's whole body. "Yeah," he whispered sadly. "I do."

"Hey," Kendall sternly said, cupping Logan's face with his hands. His brown eyes met Kendall's green. Both took in all the emotions the other had to offer: the sadness, comfort, and love. Kendall continued with the same tone of voice, "Don't be sad. I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you," Logan said, kissing him. The boys relished the kiss, taking their time to explore the other's mouth with their tongue. Kendall's hands moved from his face to his waist, tugging him closer and deepening the kiss just as Logan wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck. When they parted, both were panting and staring intensely into the other's eyes. "Say yes. Say yes to him."

"No," Kendall briefly kissed him again. The two spent most of the evening with little words, using their bodies to express how they felt about the whole situation. By the end of the night, Logan's resolve eventually hardened; he wanted Kendall to have a better life. The person in question, however, did not want to leave everyone he loved to live out someone else's dream. They understood that much and both fell asleep without making a mutual decision. All they knew was that nothing would be the same from today on. And that terrified them.

* * *

"You're still saying no?" Carlos exclaimed unhappily. All four boys met up at Kendall's job at the grocery store although it took some forcing on James' part. Currently the blonde was grabbing stray carts and putting them back which served as a distraction for James, who continued to hurl the carts into their place though missing occasionally. "Why? Think of all the money, the girls, the fame, and the GIRLS!"

Logan flinched at the last part though no one appeared to notice. It was no secret that Kendall's never felt any attraction to boys with the exception of him. Otherwise, he was straight. Just the thought of Kendall leaving him for some blonde actress staring out in LA made him flinch, but he ignored the growing protest in his stomach. He wanted Kendall to move on to better things even if it hurt. "I'm not going to move to LA and work with that jerk," Kendall argued. "I'd rather stay here with you jerks!"

"Last night," Logan interrupted, attempting to send Kendall a meaningful look. He understood well enough, all of his attention focusing on the smart one of the group. Out of all the kissing, they never truly spoke of what they wanted to do. They expressed it, but they didn't argue or debate. "I did some of the calculations. You're an idiot."

"What's fame and fortune minus my three best friends?" Kendall frowned. "Add those numbers up."

"Okay," Logan sarcastically replied, pulling out his phone and pretending to make some calculations. "Carry the two and… you're still an idiot."

A flare of anger arose in Kendall's chest at just how much Logan wanted him gone but it subsided quickly. Instead his focus moved to James, who still glared heavily at the customers walking by. If looks could kill… He sighed and looked at one of his best friends since kindergarten hoping for a more understanding reaction than Carlos and Logan. "What about you? This was your dream right?"

"I'm not talking to you!" James attempted to sound perky and light, but the anger in his eyes never disappeared. Logan flinched though he didn't blame him. Although Kendall and Carlos were unaware, James always felt competitive and spiteful towards Kendall even if he did have brotherly love towards him. Whispers in the hallways always spoke of which one was better: Kendall or James? Due to many agreeing on Kendall, due to being the first freshman hockey captain, James always strove to be better than him. This must have been a slap in the face for Kendall to win over his dream without even trying.

"You just did," Logan and Carlos spoke at once.

James practically growled, sending the next cart flying to the pile. He whipped around and poked Kendall's chest. "Look part of me hates you right now, and you know why? Because you're saying no! You're always talking about opportunities and dreams and to follow where your heart takes you. And when something amazing happens? You turn it down because you don't want to hurt my feelings."

"Not just because of that," Kendall's eyes darted to Logan which only made the smaller boy feel worse than better. He was preventing Kendall from being something great? Words from his past floated to his head making him shut his eyes tightly to hurl them out of his consciousness. He did not want to think of _that man_ ever again. Instead he focused on Kendall's words. "I have a life here, and I don't even want this opportunity."

"Which makes it so much worse," James hissed. "Call that guy back and say yes."

"That guy," Kendall spat out, "said you have no talent. He made Logan cry!"

"And that protective streak of yours isn't getting you anywhere," James argued. Carlos shrunk behind Logan, who rubbed his forehead out of stress. Yes, Kendall and he often argued like an old married couple, but James and Kendall fought like they loathed each other. "You honestly think you can protect Logan forever?"

"Yes."

James' eyes flared and he opened his mouth to argue, but Logan beat him to it. "Come on guys! This isn't about me." Logan stood between them, effectively calming Kendall down instantly. His shoulder's slumped back down and his demeanor completely changed. "Call him now. All of us auditioned, and he chose you. Doesn't that say something? We'd all like to go to LA but you have to chance now. Take it while you can, Kendall."

"So what you're saying," a mischievous smirk formed on Kendall's lip, "is if you guys were given the opportunity, you'd take it?"

"Yes." All three of them said without a beat.

"Okay then."

* * *

Gustavo practically leaped out of the car and dashed to the four boys, who were honestly impressed that he made it so fast. Kelly ran after him, clutching her bag as though it were important. Maybe it was? Logan was unsure of how the process worked out. Kendall defiantly glared at the man which Logan did not appreciate. He was planning something much like the other day. The only problem was Logan couldn't tell what it is, and Kendall was giving him no hints.

That couldn't be good.

"I knew you'd call," Gustavo wheezed, hands on his knees from the running. "I knew you'd come crawling back!"

"…Sure." Kendall stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, I'll go with you to LA and produce some records with you."

"Thank goodness!" Kelly sighed with relief.

"If!" Kendall put in, and Logan paled.

"Oh no." Carlos and James looked at him, confused.

"You take my buds," he smirked.

"Please don't," Logan whined.

"And make us a singing group!" Kendall finished proudly. Logan once again rubbed his temples as James' jaw dropped open with an almost grateful look. Carlos beamed happily, patting his friend on the shoulder as thanks for being included. Gustavo and Kelly, however, looked less than pleased. They glanced at each other and Gustavo just burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, what? You're trying to make deals with me? Have you even heard your friends sing?" Gustavo spat. "Oh, wait! They can't."

James flinched and Kendall took a step forward. "Well I'm not a big, mega producer, but I'm sure they sing better than dogs. And you can turn them into stars, right?"

"Is that supposed to sway me?" Gustavo snarled, going off on some speech about how he wasn't that desperate. But Kendall knew he won; he's seen that look from the other players on the hockey field. Rather than listen, he sneakily linked his pinkie finger with Logan's as some kind of promise. Wherever Kendall went, his boyfriend went. Logan looked up at him fearfully but nodded his head subtly. As their fingers parted, they knew they were in this together. By the time Gustavo finished his speech, he was panting.

"So we have a deal?"

"Hell yes!"

* * *

"LA?" Jennifer questioned, unable to believe what was happening. The four pairs of parents all met up to discuss just what they were going to do as the boys started packing. Kelly and Gustavo already drove to the airport to schedule a plane and call their boss. Now they just needed to know who would go with their sons. The obvious choice was Jennifer, as she was only a waitress and single.

"You're the only one," Joanna Mitchell claimed.

Brooke frowned at the prospect. "I'll miss him, but I can't go with him. I have a company to run, and his father is too busy with that _skank _to look after him."

No one brought up the hateful term she used to describe her husband's new lover. Sylvia Garcia agreed fully as did her husband, though he claimed he would make a couple surprise visits. Although one man seemed to dislike the idea in general. Michael Mitchel crossed his legs and frowned at the residents at the table. "I don't want my son to be swept up in this Hollywood business," he spoke up. "I've seen the news about those pregnant teenagers and those drug scandals. How many celebrities shaved their heads for attention?"

"Logan isn't that type of person," Jennifer argued, Brooke and the Garcia's nodding in agreement. "He's always lived up to your expectations, and I doubt he'll start acting out just because he's in Hollywood. He might behave better since he knows everything he does will be reported."

"Yes, he's never been the type to act out," Michael agreed, "until he met your son. Do you know how many complaints I've received because of Kendall's influence?"

"That's not fair," Officer Garcia cut in. "Carlos has definitely had some effect on the boy's behavior too, but they're teenagers! They make mistakes and they act out. Logan's no different. I guarantee those boys are not affecting him negatively. Some trouble is normal!"

Joanna sighed, not wanting to bring herself into this old argument of just how their sons were affecting her own. This was why Michael was never invited to many of their outings. Much like the teenagers, most of the adults were close friends, and it pained her to be excluded because of her husband's views. But she married him, so she stuck by his morals and decisions. "I promise you," Jennifer said, "Logan will not be involved in any scandals or act out. None of your sons will."

"I hope you keep that promise," Michael warned.

* * *

From the moment Kendall entered his room, Logan pounced on him. Grabbing his face and slamming it down so their lips met in one messy, clashed kiss. Kendall responded eagerly, grabbing Logan's waist and softly pushing him up against the wall. The kiss soon ended as Logan brought up his hand and slapped Kendall across the very cheek he was holding just before. "You're a sentimental moron!" Logan hissed, grabbing his face and kissing him again. "But I love you."

"I know," Kendall laughed in the kiss which turned softer. Their lips slid against one another in an almost comforting manner as they clung to each other. Once they parted, Kendall's forehead was against Logan's and they could feel the other's breath. "You honestly think I would leave you?" he whispered softly.

"No," Logan confessed, "you'd never leave me. I know that for a fact. That's what scared me so much. You'd be pinned down to some boy from Minnesota while you travelled the world, and I don't want that for you."

"Let me guess," Kendall beamed teasingly, "you thought the best way to make me happy was to let me date some blonde actress from LA?"

"…Okay, we spend way too much time together!" Logan laughed, escaping from Kendall's arms and grabbing his extra clothes he left here. Everyone else was all packed and on their way to the Knight residence. Logan arrived a bit early to grab some of his emergency overnight things and to spend the extra time with Kendall. "Thanks… for not leaving us behind."

"No problem!" Kendall grinned.

* * *

Carlos hugged his Papi and mother tightly, promising them to call every weekend. They whispered soft words of love in his ear as well, even teasing him that his father would surprise him with visits. "I'd love that," Carlos grinned. He glanced over at Gustavo, who was waiting for the private jet that would escort them to LA. James was telling his mother and father goodbye, and his parents did well not to argue as they usually did. Carlos could tell James greatly appreciated that.

He grimaced in pity at Logan's goodbye session with his family. No hugs or I love you's. Just a stern talking to from his father, who lectured not to mess up or fall behind. His mother simply nodded next to him, not saying a word so far. Carlos could also tell Kendall was enraged by the actions but said nothing. Though knowing their leader, he would comfort Logan later. It wasn't exactly hidden between the four of them that Kendall _detested_ Michael. Chances are, he would hit him if given the opportunity.

"Well," Kelly interrupted, "the jet is here. Say your last goodbyes then climb on board!"

Again, Carlos gripped the fabric of his parent's clothes tightly when he hugged them both just as James did with his parents. Logan received a mere pat on the shoulder and a stern scowl. As the four boys parted, they waved goodbye to their parents, and Carlos was delighted to see Joanna wave back to her son. Once they boarded, there was no going back.

* * *

"Okay!" Gustavo screamed. "I haven't heard half of you sing yet."

The Knights and three boys were on the jet which had plenty of space. Kelly stood behind Gustavo, who stared at all of them critically. The seats were pure white and comfortable, and Kendall wondered if Gustavo worked on songs in here. A guitar was in the corner and it appeared to be used quite often. Kelly continued, breaking Kendall's train of thought. "That's why we need to hear you sing and decide what to do with your voices."

Miss Knight and Katie smiled at the aspect of someone other than Kendall and James singing. Even Kendall publicly singing amused them, but he let out his vocals around the house so it wasn't too preposterous. Now Carlos and Logan on the other hand were voices they had yet to hear. "So I'm singing?" James piped up hopefully.

"No." Gustavo glared. "I've heard you already."

James merely pouted. "Carlos and Logan on the other hand," Gustavo spoke up again, "I have not. So who wants to go first?"

"I will!" Carlos bounced up. Logan smirked, happy he didn't have to go first. While he didn't want to sing, he logically knew he would have to at some point. Whether that was now or on a concert, it didn't matter. "What do you want me to sing?"

"Anything," Gustavo growled.

"Go ahead," Katie smirked and Carlos nodded, beginning to sing a melody unfamiliar to the rest of the group. He continued to sing for a minute or so before stopping, a grin on his face. By the end, the three friends, Katie, and Miss Knight could not tell whether he was good or not. The voice seemed good but the many cracks and low notes distracted them from it. James cringed at the pitch of it.

"Horrible," the producer sighed, "but I can work with that. You're out of tune, so we need to fix that first. You! Sing."

Logan flinched at being pointed to and took a deep breath. He scanned his brain for songs he knew well enough to sing but it was blank. He shrugged pathetically and could see the growing irritation on the man. Thank goodness Kendall noticed to since he quickly stood up and smiled innocently at the producer. "Can I borrow that guitar in the corner?"

"Sure." He replied uncaringly. James questionably raised an eyebrow as Carlos stared in awe.

"You can play guitar?" Carlos exclaimed.

"Self-taught," Kendall grinned with pride. Only Logan noticed how James' eyes darkened briefly before returning to normal. That made sense as well, considering that was another musical talent Kendall had over James. Sitting across from Logan, he strummed the cords a bit, tuning the guitar.

"Did you know he could play?" James asked Logan.

"Yeah."

Katie smirked, chuckling a bit. "Of course you would."

Once Kendall finished tuning the guitar, he looked at Logan in the eye, silently asking if he was ready. Gustavo and Kelly watched the encounter closely, noticing how Logan breathed in and nodded to Kendall, who began playing. And soon both were singing _Edge of Desire _without flaw. Logan served as the background for the first verse but the two voices joined for the chorus. Soon Logan was the only one singing the verse with Kendall as brief backup. Both were enveloped by the music they played, staring at each other as they sang.

All the lyrics described their situation. The fear, the passion, and the love behind their relationship were all present within the song which is why they loved to sing it so often. It's why they knew their roles so well in the song yet never spoke of who would sing what. As they finished, Logan sent a small, thankful smile at Kendall, who beamed in return. "Wow," James whispered, memorized by the scene. "You guys are really good!"

"I didn't know you could sing Logan!" Carlos complimented. "I take back what I said at the auditions."

"T-thanks," Logan blushed but instantly paled when he looked at the producer. Everyone on the jet followed his eyesight and frowned. Gustavo was pale and shaking with absolute horror. Kelly shared that same expression though more frantic. The two realized they were being stared at and shook out of their postures. Instead they turned to each other with anxiety in each movement.

"Gustavo!" Kelly screamed.

"I know!" He yelled back. "Backroom. Now!"

And with just that, the two disappeared with a quick slam of the doors behind them. Brief shouting could be heard but the door managed to bundle the words into incoherent sounds. Logan nervously scooted closer to Kendall on the floor, brown eyes wide with disbelief. Did they not like him? Kendall rubbed his back instinctively, reassuring him that he sang well. James and Carlos remained silent, not understanding the predicament and why Gustavo and Kelly were so upset.

The two finally returned after a couple minutes of arguing. "Good," Kelly's voice was too high and her eyes were too hysterical. "That was good."

Gustavo appeared less shaken. Just in time, an announcement was held over the speakers, claiming they just arrived at their destination. He turned to his new band, who shared excited looks.

"Welcome to LA, boys."

* * *

Alice: I hope you enjoyed the second chapter.

Emily: Office Hours should be updated sometime this week.

Alice: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I was nervous about publishing this story, so your comments really helped me out.

Emily: The next chapter will be the final part of the episode. Since it's the pilot, I split it into three parts but most of the time episodes will be two parts or one part.

Alice: Thanks again!


	3. Big Time Audition Part 3

Alice: New chapter!

Emily: Enjoy! I love you guys, and this should be the third to last part of the Big Time Audition part. Next is about school!

Alice: Isn't that fun? That should be at least two or three parts but not five. Only the ones longer than thirty minutes will be five parts.

Emily: Unless, of course, it holds an extremely important plot point beforehand. Also, in every new "episode", there will be a "previously". It won't be from the previous chapter but important quotes from throughout the whole fanfic series that hints at what the chapter will be about.

Alice: Anyways, enjoy! Love you guys. Also, this gives some hints towards a later chapter and I got the idea from _Bad Boys Know What They Want_ and from the way Logan literally checks out Kendall in Big Time Bad Boy.

Emily: Remember, this will only temporarily be rated T.

* * *

**Big Time Audition**

**Part 3**

The Palm Woods was beautiful. Every palm tree stood proud and tall in the gleaming sun that penetrated the outdoors. Compared to the snowy winters, this place was like a smoldering hot desert but no one seemed to mind it. Maybe he would adjust to the weather later on? Logan sighed in content, loving this new place already. Not only was the weather better than Minnesota but there was a lively aura, something nonexistent in his old residence. He already loved it and judging by Kendall's eyebrows, which shot up, he was impressed as well. James and Carlos gaped in awe and Katie just laughed in pure joy.

"Wow," Miss Knight whispered softly. Kelly began explaining the Palm Woods rules but it was all ignored the moment she mentioned the pool. In less than three seconds, all four boys threw down their bags and dashed outside to where the pool would be. And the place did not disappoint. Surrounded by palm trees, but not close enough for the leaves to fall in, the friends were severely impressed by the size of the water. Most of the famous kids were sitting on the chairs without a care in the world.

"Guys!" Kendall jabbed his finger towards four empty chairs that leaned back. All rushing in that direction, Logan allowed himself to admire how nice it was to run somewhere outside and not worry about slipping due to the ice. Yes, he was going to love this place. Throwing himself onto the chair between Kendall and James, he leaned his head back and simply soaked in all of the sun. "I already love it here."

"I know," Logan beamed and judging by James and Carlos' smiles, they did too. And for the moment, it was completely peaceful. Nothing to bother them and comfortable silence. Of course, there was only one thing that could ruin such a moment on a daily basis, the boys would soon learn. The "storm" was known as the best method actress around: Camille Roberts.

In a split second, Kendall felt a tight grip on his shirt pulling him upward and a slap against his cheek. "Ow!" he cried out, holding the reddening area. Slapped twice in two days? Now that was not fun! Wincing, he glanced up to see a beautiful girl standing there in a prom dress. Tears swam freely in her eyes but refused to fall. From the corner of his eye, he saw Logan's nostrils flare in anger. "What was that for?" he sent a subtle calming motion with his hands at his boyfriend. The tension in his shoulders dropped but the defensive gleam in his eyes was still present.

"How could you!?" the girl screeched and strangely no one batted an eye. Instead they just continued living their daily lives. She continued without pause. "I gave everything to you! My heart, my soul, and my body! Then you break up with me for Trish?! Trish! My sworn enemy! I never want to see you again Troy!"

And with that, she started screaming, tears falling freely. Storming out of the pool area, many teens purposefully avoided her way so her anger would not be released on them. But other than that, there were no reactions to what happened. James snickered, "Wow. Day one and you already pissed off some chick!"

"That was Camille Roberts," someone started speaking from seemingly nowhere. Actually, not nowhere. The boys glanced around and Kendall frowned when his eyes caught onto the trashcan next to him. Hesitantly, he reached out and opened up the lid to reveal a redheaded boy hiding. He was a bit chubby with a childish face and freckles. He grinned and introduced himself as Tyler, a kid from the juice box commercials.

"But I don't want to be an actor," he whined, "just a regular kid."

"Okay, and what about the girl that just slapped me?" Kendall made a point by touching his sore cheek. Tyler chuckled and explained in more detail just who inhibited the Palm Woods, but Logan soon zoned out. Apparently there was a "Guitar Dude" and "Lightning Dog" and "Jenifers" but he couldn't find it in himself to care. High school taught him to distrust everyone around him, and since this was Hollywood, it meant to double that distrust. Judging by what he saw in scandal papers, everyone backstabbed each other. James, Carlos, and Kendall would be the ones he stuck to, and that was it.

But knowing his friends, they'd be befriending everyone that came in their path.

"Guys!" Kendall raised his voice a bit, interrupting their staring at three girls with the same name. "We have to promise not to let this town change us, got it? No snobby attitude or turning our backs on each other. No matter what, we stay the same!"

"Got it," the other three boys promised, all smiling at each other.

This would be great!

* * *

It was a giant risk. At first, Gustavo thought he understood that considering how outdated a boy band was. But with those four boys, the risks of failure increased to whole new levels. In a way, he could relate to Kelly's anxieties but not enough to send them back, as she suggested on the jet. Not out of ill intent but protection because the media would eat out the band if they figured it out. That, she argued, could tear up the boys' bond and their state of health. Not everyone was cut out for Hollywood life which is why Gustavo searched for the fire: someone with enough passion to withstand it all.

Besides it wasn't just their butts on the line. It was his as well. He fully understood that, staring at Arthur Griffin in complete fear. Kelly was sent to pick up the boys, and it was just in time for his boss to storm in with a heavy glare. Oh, he was in trouble alright. Thank goodness the boys decided to keep their little _situation _a secret or Griffin would tear them apart and send them home right after firing Gustavo. "And remember," Griffin smirked almost evilly, "you have three days."

"What?!" Gustavo screamed. "You said three months!"

"I also said one boy. One month was taken off for each extra boy," Griffin retorted, eyes darkening almost scarily. The producer gulped, knowing his boss hated his authority being questioned. "I want them to be so good that teenage girls will steal their parent's credit cards and buy their album. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," Gustavo stammered, once again very thankful that the boys were content with keeping their secrets s_ecret_. A sudden pleasant smile took over Griffin's face as he wished him good luck before promptly exiting the room with complete confidence, most likely knowing just how well he managed to stress out his employee. How could he possibly manage to turn those four slackers into an amazing band with only three days?

* * *

"To be a great band, you must have four things: great dancing, great looks, great songs, and great singing. We have three days to become a band, and you guys need to improve!" Gustavo shouted at the four boys. The tall brunet beamed happily, ecstatic on finally living out his dream. The Hispanic one merely shrugged but smiled contently nonetheless. It was the other two he had problems with. Kendall sent him a challenging smirk, as though this was one giant game to him while the nerdy one (Logan, right?) insecurely stared at the floor and shuffled his feet.

Kelly sighed and called in Mr. X, who would be the choreographer for the band. Like always, he jumped into the room, spun around once, and posed with a smirk. Gustavo briefly caught a glimpse of the nerdy boy sending a small smirk at Kendall, who rolled his eyes in response. Silent conversations, huh? He put in a mental note to attempt figuring out what they conversed about with just their expressions. "Now!" Mr. X gasped overdramatically. "I will make you X-plode with the dance! We will start with an X-amination. Cross leg, spin, pose."

Logan flushed instantly, knowing very well he couldn't dance at all. So he carefully watched James and Kendall from the corner of his eye. Without trying, Kendall did the moves exactly the way Mr. X wanted him to with James following beside him. Once they were halfway done with the routine, Logan and Carlos followed their lead. Of course, Logan's pose didn't end exactly right and hit Kendall in the chest. Stifling a laugh, Kendall grabbed Logan around the waist before he fell making the smaller boy giggle.

But when Logan's bemused smile turned into a sharp glare, Kendall realized his mistake and quickly removed his hands from his boyfriend as though his body burned. He knew that look all too well: his hands were lingering far too long which would have appeared to be suspicious. Mr. X didn't notice and approached each boy. He first started with Kendall. "He is great but not serious." Moving down the line, he looked at James, who grinned happily. "He is serious but not great." The smile fell into a hardened scowl.

Logan bit his lower lip, almost pitying his friend. Why did Mr. X have to say something that hit so close to home? Yes, James mostly sang but he was also a performer! He joined the theatre for dancing and acting too. For Kendall to be great at something without trying, without being serious, it must have really hurt James' ego. Especially considering less than two days ago Kendall's voice was also picked over his. "You!" Mr. X pointed at Carlos. "You lack coordination." He strut down the line and hissed at Logan, "And you are just awful."

Kendall opened his mouth to object, but Logan cut in beforehand. "I know." He shot a warning glance at his boyfriend, who backed off right away.

The dancing teacher walked back to Gustavo and Kelly, sighing. "They are X-cruciating and will not be ready in three days."

"I'll X double your salary," Gustavo snarled and that was enough to make the man smile. Turning back to the four boys, he shouted at them to be prepared for a painful hour which was Gustavo and Kelly's cue to leave. Instead of watching, they walked together to Gustavo's private office and sat down, staring at each other for one long moment. Gustavo cracked first, as he usually did with her. "I'm guessing you want a more in depth discussion right now?"

"Yes." Kelly nodded. "You didn't tell Griffin, did you?"

"He'd slaughter me and this band!" he argued.

Kelly agreed on that but didn't voice it. "Gustavo, we need to make sure it stays between us and them. I'm not even sure they know!"

"Well we need to make sure they do." He whispered to himself. Snapping his fingers, he smirked at Kelly. "You're the manipulative one. Do something!"

"I thought you said I couldn't act," she argued.

"But you can manipulate… right?"

"… What do you want me to do?"

* * *

The four boys lay panting on the floor, sweat dripping down their foreheads and chests. Mr. X was screaming at Gustavo and Kelly with very colorful language. Apparently, Kendall and James were the only ones with real talent, Carlos needed some work, but Logan was insufferable when it came to dancing. Whenever the boy's name popped up, he flinched which drew out the protective instinct in Kendall. Normally he would hold his hand or kiss him when he felt insecure but they were in public, so he went for the totally platonic arm around the shoulder with a small shake. "I'm okay," Logan grumbled. "Just… why can't I get these moves down? You've never danced in your life and he's already calling you great."

Luckily he spoke so quietly that James and Carlos couldn't hear even if they were listening. Kendall chuckled. "Well I was also the first freshmen hockey captain in our school. It required balance, coordination, and thinking quick on your feet. I'm just taking those and putting it towards dancing."

"You're freakin' perfect," he sarcastically mumbled. Yeah, Kendall was perfect and that's exactly why James decided to sit on the opposite corner of the room so he would not explode from frustration. His boyfriend just cheerfully laughed and patted his head affectionately.

"So are you."

"Guys!" Kelly strolled into the room, and Kendall fought back the disappointment of Logan scooting away from him. "We're now going to move onto the look portion of the band."

And thus, all four boys were viciously attacked by stylists that just came out of nowhere. Shoved into ridiculous outfits and put on for a show, Logan hated nearly all of them. First, it was a strange hippie style with shirtless overalls. Next the American colors to which Kendall argued, "It looks like Uncle Sam threw up on us."

Logan had to bit his lip hard to prevent himself from laughing. And the next change was even stranger but also evoked an even stranger reaction. It was the "bad boy" look. Tight leather jeans with dark, tight shirts, all of them looked like they were a part of some Goth movement. Except for Kendall, who had the lightest amount of black on him. He simply wore black combat boots, black skinny jeans that weren't too tight, and a lovely tight black shirt. The eyeliner was barely noticeable, and when they put on the leather jacket, Logan tried to stop from drooling at the sight.

He couldn't help it; bad boy Kendall was _hot_.

Yes, he was a teenage boy which meant he did have urges. But, damn none of them have ever been this strong. Sex hasn't become a player in their relationship yet but it's come close a couple of times. And, strangely, Logan doesn't think he's ever had as much arousal in those intimate moments then he's had now. Images filled his head of Kendall in his bad boy outfit gripping his hair a little too tightly, biting his neck enough for it to feel good but _hurt _too. He could just picture him taking him roughly, whispering harsh, demeaning words in his ears as he pounded in him from behind causing a mix of pain and pleasure.

_Oh my god, I'm a masochist. _The realization hit him hard and, strangely, he didn't find much wrong with it. Only that right now was not a good time for those fantasies. Taking a deep breath, he willed them away because any hint of arousal would be easily spotted in the tight leather jeans they put him in. Since he was so busy wrapping his mind around his new discover and trying to calm himself down, he missed the entire speech Gustavo gave about finding a look later. He didn't even recognize the stylists redressing him in his normal clothes. Instead he was too lost in his thoughts, wondering when he developed a "bad boy" fetish.

"You okay?" Kendall whispered when the stylists slipped on Logan's original dark blue shirt.

Logan's darkened brown eyes met Kendall's worried green. "Just fine."

_I wonder if they'll look at me weirdly if I ask whether or not we can keep Kendall's outfit…_

Too late, Logan snapped out of his thoughts. Gustavo took the liberty of dragging the four boys to the record studio to sing a new song he wrote. Gracefully thrusting sheets of paper into the boy's hands, the producer sat at the piano with a rather proud smirk. Kelly sighed, rubbing her temples and wondering what he was so damn proud of. "It's called _Girl Time_."

Kendall rolled his eyes at the title and glanced at Logan, who was also biting back a smile. Oh yeah, have a gay boy sing about girls. That'll really make the album sell. Actually, it was interesting how Logan was the only completely gay one in the band but in a relationship with Kendall. For days on end, Kendall wondered if he was gay or not because of his attraction to Logan. In order to find out, he attempted to check out other boys, mostly ones with the same body type as Logan since apparently he was his type. None of them did anything for him. Strangely enough, he still appreciated a girl's body and was more attracted to them than boys. Logan, as it appeared, was his one exception. Otherwise, he was completely straight.

Did that make him bisexual? A bisexual who very, very heavily leaned towards girls to the point where he's only felt attraction for one man? Or was there a whole other label for that? Eventually Kendall gave up scrolling through the Internet to define him and just let things be. "What time is it? It's girl time!" Gustavo ranted. "I just woke up. Yeah, well it's girl time!"

"What if you have a disease?" Logan piped up. "Wouldn't that make it doctor time?"

"Unless that doctor's a girl, NO!" Gustavo bellowed.

Kendall narrowed his eyes as Logan squirmed uncomfortably. "Do any of your songs not have the word girl in them?" he took the focus away. Gustavo didn't appear surprised that he asked that question, but still changed his focus to him. For a moment, Kendall could almost see James glaring at him, as though shouting at him to shut up. He ignored it for now.

"Well let's see!" He continued to scream and stomped to his platinum records that hung proudly on the wall. Naming each one, Kendall couldn't suppress his smirk that all of them had "girl" in the title including the one he sang for his "audition". Talk about variety. Snarling, Gustavo approached Kendall, hissing out, "Any more questions?"

James paled at Kendall's smirk. He wanted to interrupt, to shout at him to _shut up_! Didn't he realize angering the man wouldn't further them? But, no. Kendall _had _to undermine authority and question him. "Just one. Are any of those from this girl-enium?"

Gustavo shrieked in fury.

"That," Kendall smirked, completely satisfied, "was for making Logan cry at the auditions."

"I'm going to need a minute," Gustavo huffed out, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

"Me too," Logan growled and the smirk slipped from Kendall's lips. In mere seconds, Logan was gripping Kendall's wrist and dragging him out of the room. The taller boy never protested and followed with his head bent, as though knowing he would be scolded. James just nodded proudly. Good for Logan! He was getting sick of Kendall's attitude too. Normally it would make him laugh but not at the expense of his dream. Carlos stood there, optimistic and enjoying the chaos that came with the friends.

"Wow." Kelly blinked. "So he was snarky and rude just for Logan?"

"Oh yeah," Carlos snickered. "You can't get any closer than those two, trust me!"

Kelly stepped forward reluctantly, as though treading on uneasy ground. "Why is he so protective? I mean, you guys weren't that upset that Logan cried. Isn't he your friend too? Or are Kendall and Logan closer?"

James' eyebrows furrowed at the absurdity of the question. "They're best buds."

"We kind of have a system," Carlos backed him up. "Kendall's the leader, James' is the observer, I'm the goofball, and Logan's the smart one. Kendall's really protective of all of us but more with Logan because he's the only one that's been bullied so badly and had self-esteem issues."

"If someone was mean to us, Kendall would take personal offense but we wouldn't," James elaborated. "But Logan would. That's why it's different. Logan's more vulnerable."

"I see," Kelly nodded. Yes, she truly understood. Now it was just a matter of reporting it back to Gustavo, who most likely needed the alone time to calm himself down.

* * *

"That was childish," Logan lectured in the confinements of the bathroom.

Kendall leaned against the sink, shrugging uncaringly. "He's the childish one, and I wasn't completely over him making you cry."

Logan sighed heavily, walking towards Kendall and completely invading his personal space. Not that Kendall minded though. It was the frustration that made him flinch though. Oh, he really managed to anger Logan this time. "I'm also not a child," he hissed. "I appreciate the effort, but James is right. You can't always take care of me because you're not always going to be there with me every second of the day."

"I'm sorry," Kendall grumbled, seeing his point. "Should I apologize to Gustavo?"

"Nah," Logan smiled, pecking Kendall's lips. "He'll get over it."

Kendall snorted, wrapping his arm around Logan's shoulder and planting a kiss on his cheek. As they exited the bathroom, he quickly removed his arm and walked back to the other room where Kelly, James, and Carlos were patiently waiting. They stood in complete silence for a moment before Gustavo stormed in again, trying to take deep breaths to calm himself. "Okay," he failed at sounding calm, "let's just record the damn song, okay?"

* * *

Katie skipped around the Palm Woods pool, grabbing a stray chair when she spotted one and throwing it behind the red velvet ropes. When she finished arranging them, her grin expanded. It wasn't the smile of a normal, happy nine year old girl but of a mischievous schemer. Since she never bothered making many friends in Minnesota (she thought they were immature brats), no tears were shed at the thought of leaving behind her old house. "Katie!" her mother's voice interrupted. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she smiled, trying to be cute.

Miss Knight rolled her eyes but her expression softened. "Look I know the move must have been hard, but you should be going out and making some friends!"

"Don't need any," Katie retorted blandly. "I have the boys, remember?"

"Katie, those are Kendall's friends," Miss Knight argued.

"You've always considered them sons, so I consider them brothers." Katie smirked, knowing fully well her mother couldn't argue against that one. Yes, the boys were all their family even if only one was related by blood. Although Logan was the newest addition to their group, Miss Knight took immediate liking to him, thus he became their family. But, now that she thought about it, it took a little longer for her to fully accept Logan at first but that was to be expected. "And now mom, watch me make some cash!"

She grabbed the sign she left on the ground and hung it up proudly. It stated in clear, bubble lettered words "VIP ROOM $10". All of a sudden, all of the famous Palm Woods residents were lining up and handing her ten dollars each. At the sight of her shocked mother, Katie snickered. "You won't believe the amount of money someone famous is willing to pay just to sit behind some red velvet rope with a VIP sign."

"So you're okay?"

"I am loving this town!" Katie beamed which morphed into a scowl instantly. "So the guys better not mess this up for me!"

* * *

Logan wanted to bang his head on the wall. Of course they had to screw everything up. Specifically Kendall, who just couldn't help undermine the authority figures. One day, Logan was going to ask why Kendall needed to rebel against anyone who told him what to do. But in the meantime, he could only lay his head low, ashamed of the actions. Apparently putting some fruit juice and pillows in a small space where they were supposed to sing was not a good idea. When asked to preform that horrible girl song, Kendall wacked Carlos over the head with a microphone, resulting in one intense battle.

Now they were all wet and covered in feathers. Standing in a line, Gustavo looked them over with such anger that Logan flinched away from it. "You!" Gustavo screamed, pointing at Logan. "You can't dance!"

_I can backflip_, he offered silently in his head.

Gustavo moved past the line and snarled at Carlos, "You can't sing!" As he stomped down the line, Logan noticed how James had his fingers crossed for some form of praise. Out of all the boys, he was the only one to not act out. Even in the recording booth, James prevented himself from joining in on the fight. Instead he cowered in the corner, hoping Gustavo would notice his efforts to remain peaceful. "You… ugh!" The hope disappeared. Now he looked just as crushed as when Gustavo yelled at him on his first audition.

The plump man stopped in front of Kendall, who was smirking defiantly. "You can sing, you can dance, and you can do this! But for some reason, you just don't want to!"

Gustavo backed up, glaring at each one of them. "I would rather just quit now than embarrass myself in front of the record company with your lousy performance! Get out! NOW!"

"Fine," Kendall barked back, grabbing Logan's wrist and tugging him out of the studio with the other two boys straying behind. James' eyes lingered on the producer, trying to catch his eye. Maybe that would make him change his mind? To see he was more talented than Kendall and wanted this! But Gustavo merely scoffed at him, turning his head away without a care in the world. Clenching his fists, James stomped in front of Kendall, leading the group out of the building that would have made his dreams come true.

Oh, he was going to give them all a mouthful later!

* * *

Alice: Hope you liked this. It was more of a transition chapter so sorry.

Emily: Thanks for reviewing and liking this story. It means a lot.

Alice: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Emily: We have the week off! If my job doesn't hire me too much, I might be able to update more often.

Alice: Yay!


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